Press

Uppsala, Sweden—December 12, 2011—IAR Systems, a leading provider of software tools for embedded systems, announced today that its build and debug tool chain IAR Embedded Workbench has been selected by Ocean Modules, an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturer of remotely-operated vehicles (ROV), for the next generation underwater technology. Ocean Modules V8 Offshore ROV is controlled through a combination of 8-bit Atmel AVR and 32-bit Atmel ARM MCUs and IAR Embedded Workbench was selected for its reliability.

Ocean Modules V8 Offshore ROV with its 360⁰ control system can operate at a depth of 3,000 meters and is fitted with sampling and recording equipment, sensors and tools for underwater exploration, intervention and reporting, to suit the requirements of each customer. ARM processors are used for the more demanding tasks, e.g. the automatic control system for steering the vehicle, rapid data communication and monitoring of the entire system. AVR processors are used in submodules such as distributed I/O devices, for local measuring, monitoring and basic steering functions.

“We are very pleased that Ocean Modules has standardized on IAR Embedded Workbench for their new ROV,” says Liselott Lundeborg, Nordic Sales Manager, IAR Systems. “A system operating 3,000 meters below the water surface and under extremely rugged conditions must be completely reliable and IAR Systems is committed to providing tools that meet the requirements of Ocean Modules.”

"We are proud of our ROV technology and committed to offer our customers the best system for underwater inspections," says Claes Drougge, CEO, Ocean Modules. “Our staff members have had extensive industrial experience of IAR Systems as a reliable provider of robust tools that you can depend on. Their quality tools and broad MCU support made it an easy decision to select IAR Embedded Workbench for development of the software parts of our system.”

Customers of Ocean Modules include naval and maritime authorities, law enforcement and environmental agencies as well as scientific organizations all over the world. Ocean Modules V8 Offshore ROV is used for a wide range of underwater missions— for inspection of ship hulls, cables, and tunnels, for studying and documenting environmental conditions, for marine biology research projects, and for finding and documenting ancient shipwrecks as well as inspecting recent scenes of accident.

Ocean Modules offers industrial quality in all parts of the system—electronics, software and mechanics—and is the sole provider of a 360-degree operation. The ROV can run freely in all directions: up and down, back and forth, as well as sideways. It can also rotate, roll and pitch around its x-axis and y-axis. All these controls can be combined to any behavior. It can be used for grabbing and twisting doorknobs, passing narrow doorways or searching the bottom of a cargo space.

IAR Embedded Workbench is a completely integrated development environment for developing, building, and debugging embedded applications with strong requirements on performance and reliability. It is the world’s most widely used tool chain for 8-, 16-, and 32-bit MCUs.

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About IAR SystemsIAR Systems is the world’s leading supplier of software tools for developing embedded systems applications. The software enables over 14 000 large and small companies to develop premium products based on 8-, 16-, and 32-bit microcontrollers, mainly in the areas of industrial automation, medical devices, consumer electronics, telecommunication and automotive products. IAR Systems has an extensive network of partners and cooperates with the world’s leading semiconductor vendors. IAR Systems Group AB is listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.iar.com